Taiwan Election Takes Shapes as Vice President Aims for Top Job

Vice President Lai announced as ruling party pick for 2024
Lai warns China that war would be a ‘global disaster’

WATCH: Ahead of the January 2024 Taiwan presidential election, President Tsai and Former Pro-China President Ma have made highly symbolic trips which were seen as calculated risks. Stephen Engle reports.Source: Bloomberg

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By Samson Ellis and Betty Hou

April 11, 2023 at 10:00 PM UTC

Updated on

April 12, 2023 at 8:16 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Lai Ching-te’s mother was bitterly disappointed when the Harvard-educated doctor told her in the 1990s that he was giving up his medical career to enter politics.

She might forgive him now: As Taiwan’s vice president, Lai was confirmed Wednesday as the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s candidate in next year’s presidential election, a vote being watched more closely than ever from Washington to Beijing.